Managing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

If you have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you may be relieved that you now know why you have felt or behaved a certain way. Still, you may feel overwhelmed and concerned for your future.

With the right treatment and support, you can live your life with fewer symptoms.

What actions can I take to manage PTSD?

Manage stress

• Talk with your health care provider or a counselor about ways to lower your stress. These may include:
  • Physical exercise.
  • Meditation, yoga, or other mind–body exercises.
  • Exercises to relax your muscles.
  • Breathing exercises.
  • Listening to quiet music.
  • Spending time outside.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Take time to relax.
• Spend time with others. Talk with them about how you are feeling and what you need.
• Do activities that you enjoy.
• Have a schedule and take regular breaks.

Take your medicines

• Talk with your pharmacist or health care provider about all medicines you take. Talk about the side effects. Discuss which medicines are safe to take together.
• Be involved in your care. Decide on the best treatment plan with your health care provider.
• Be aware that if you decide to take medicine, it can take 4–8 weeks before you notice a difference in your symptoms.
• Talk to your health care provider before stopping medicines.

Stay close to family and friends

• Trust your friends and loved ones. Trusting others can help you feel safe and connect you with emotional support.
• Be open and honest about your feelings.
• Have fun and relax in safe spaces, such as with friends and family.
• Think about going to couples counseling, family education classes, or family therapy. Therapy can be helpful for everyone.
• Talk with friends and family about how they can best support you.

What are signs that my condition is getting worse?

• You feel suspicious and angry.
• You have repeated flashbacks.
• You avoid going out or being with others.
• You have more fights with close friends or family members.
• You have thoughts about hurting yourself or others.
• You cannot get relief from feelings of depression or anxiety.

Follow these instructions at home:

Lifestyle

• Exercise at least 30 minutes a few times a week.
• Try to get 7–9 hours of sleep each night. To help with sleep:
  • Keep your bedroom cool and dark.
  • Do not eat a heavy meal within 1 hour of bedtime.
  • Avoid caffeine for at least 8 hours before bed.
  • Avoid screen time before bed. This includes television, computers, tablets, and mobile phones.
• Try to have fun and find humor in your life.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Write your thoughts and feelings down in a journal or on a tablet or mobile phone.

General instructions

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• Do not useillegal drugs.
• Know and remember that healing from trauma takes time.
• Keep your health care team up to date about your PTSD symptoms and treatment.

Alcohol use

• Do not drink alcohol if:
  • Your health care provider tells you not to drink.
  • You are pregnant, may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant.
• If you drink alcohol:
  • Limit how much you have to:
    • 0–1 drink a day for women.
    • 0–2 drinks a day for men.
  • Know how much alcohol is in your drink. In the U.S., one drink equals one 12 oz bottle of beer (355 mL), one 5 oz glass of wine (148 mL), or one 1½ oz glass of hard liquor (44 mL).

Where to find more information

• National Institute of Mental Health: nimh.nih.gov
• National Center for PTSD: ptsd.va.gov

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your symptoms get worse or do not get better.
• You have trouble doing daily tasks.
• You have loss of appetite.
• You have trouble sleeping.

Get help right away if:

• You have thoughts about hurting yourself or others.

• Call 911.
• Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or 988. This is open 24 hours a day.
• Text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Summary

• With the right treatment and support, you can live your life with fewer symptoms.
• Find supportive people and settings. Spend time in those places. Keep in contact with those people.
• Work with your health care team to create a plan to manage the symptoms of PTSD. The plan should include counseling, good habits, and techniques to reduce stress.